Glass's Tale
by Ardonius-Servant-Of-Zeta
Summary: What if Glass had survived his clash with Lyn, and went on? What would he do? Why am I asking you? Just read!
1. Chapter 1: Glass

Summary: What if Glass, the Mercenary, had survived to join Lyn's group?

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem.

Glass had always been a strong man. Ever since he was a boy, he had been stronger, faster, and smarter than the rest. He was not book smart, he when it came to combat, he considered himself above average in intelligence. To him, battle was two parts strength, one part tactics. Moreover, to him, strength was expressed in, well, brute strength.

Of course, he knew the importance of speed, but he believed that a large blade was superior to a small blade, essentially. He was not one to underestimate a small blade, otherwise he would not go after the Mani Katti, but a larger blade could act as an effective shield, as well as a weapon. Besides, his strength was considered inhuman, he needed a large sword to really, effectively bring his strength into a battle…

All his life, Glass had been ambitious. He had always believed that with his wits, strength, and ambition, he could get through life, go to the top, or get as far as he could. And at one point, he almost had. He was Caledonian, born in the Western Isles, but his mother had taken him to Ilia as a child. There, men were held in less regard, since Pegasi chose only women to ride them.

He had lived as an Ilian mercenary from the age of fifteen to twenty, and had been blocked from ever achieving more. Nothing he could do, not feats of astounding bravery or strength, risking his life to save others, nothing could elevate him any hire. A year of this knowledge caused him to develop several mental problems, and he took up banditry, and left for Sacae, intent on getting the Mani Katti, then making a name for himself in Lycia. Maybe return to Caledonia some time, who knows.

Now, Glass was cursing himself. Why did this swordswomen and her knights have to pick THIS week to visit the sword? Why not the next one? He was so close to getting the blade, but that annoying Bishop had to seal it, and now he had to deal with these annoying troublemakers! Then he would force the old man to remove the seal, and the Mani Katti would be his!

Despite his cursing, he felt he could salvage the situation. He was strong, and more skilled than the girl in front of him, not to mention more experienced. She was fast, and had her fair share of skill with her blade, and a bit of experience, but he had been fighting for years, not to mention better stamina. No, he was more concerned about the two knights, if his men could not hold them off long enough; there was no way he could win. He was not stupid; he could not take two knights at once!

There was a time when he could have, back when he was a Paladin, when he had his pride, the strength of the company to enhance him…those days; he could have taken ten men! Of course, in those days, he fought with wild abandon, cleaving men left and right. Then again, those men were not as skilled as these knights and girl were.

There it was! Glass smirked as he saw an opening, she had put just a bit too much force in her strike, and with a precious extra second to act, Glass's arm shot out like a bullet, grabbing the elbow of her sword arm, locking it. A look of horror flickered over the girls beautiful features, before hardening back into the stern look many warriors wore. Glass rolled his eyes, letting emotions show like that, how amateurish!

Then again, she was green and she probably though he was going to break her arm. With a shrug, mostly to himself Glass let his right hand drop his 6-foot long broadsword, and snap up to grab her hand. She was still reaching for him, to stop him, as he spun his leg around, knocking her leg out from under her, and shoving her forward from her extended arm.

As she fell, she attempted to roll, but Glass was on her in a moment, and immediately pinned her to the ground, then knocked her weapon away. Assured that he could knock her out and avoid needless killing, he cheered to himself, now he could steal the blade and happily go to Lycia, hire himself out, impress some Lord, make his way to the Elite Guard, maybe a soldier, and make his way to General, or personal bodyguard to the Marques.

Of course, this was when one knight burst through a weakened section of the wall, while another popped out from the main entrance. Glass cursed, and still holding her arms to him with one arm, he stood her up along with him, slowly, as his other hand grasped his huge blade.

She was kicking him quite viciously, but when he got his large blade, which he could wield a bit slowly with one hand, and rested it by her neck, she stopped. "Even the greatest of warriors knows when to stop lass, even Glass knows…" Glass chuckled internally when she coughed, his breath probably smelled terrible. He should stop drinking…

The knights, one in green armor, one in red, (Glass raised an eyebrow at the orange hair that the red knight had, that was a bit…unexpected) trotted forward, the green knight look like a storm cloud, angry and ominous, while the red armored knight had a cautious look to him. He, of course, was the diplomatic one; Glass knew these types, good, solid men. Every country needed more of them.

"What offer can we make for the ladies life?" The orange-haired knight said evenly, no hostility in his tone. Glass silently congratulated him, not many could control themselves so well when their lady was in trouble…

Come to think of it, she had two Caelin knights with her, (Glass knew they were Caelin, judging by their crests) perhaps she was the rumored Lyndis he had heard about? Words among bandits and mercenaries said that Lundgren wanted his niece killed, and that she was half Sacaen…Things did seem to fit together. This might work out for him, if he played his cards right.

He could either give them the girl in exchange for his own safety and the Mani Katti, or perhaps make amends, and join them…Or kill the girl, somehow beat the knights, and get Lundgren's reward. Personally, he liked the first two better, corrupt nobles pissed him off. Let us see them bleed for money, like a mercenary, truly work for it. There were few good ones.

Choices…choices…Lyn, or Lyndis, if she really was, kept silent. Smart girl. "Of course, I hate needless killing…I just want the Mani Katti." Glass frowned slightly, was his voice really that rough? He needed to stop drinking; most nobles did not like having personal guards with such rough voices...

The angry knight had just been rapped on the back of the head, and the orange knight seemed to tell him to go away, since he was interfering in the "peace talk". After that, he the talk continued. "What are your terms?"

Glass wanted to scratch the stubble on his chin, but he wasn't about to give Lyndis a chance to break free. He could feel her anger rolling off in waves as it was. "Well…the old man unseals the blade, I take it, then Lyndis gets to go free." Kent and Lyndis seemed a bit surprised that he knew her name. Maybe it was not so smart to mention her name…Oh well; it was only his problem if her decided to really get involved.

Lyn, of course, did not stand for Glasses most reasonable terms. "No Kent! He cannot defile the sacred blade! I'd sooner die than let that happen!" Glass was getting a little angry, and the knight, Kent, whose name he just learned, looked a little bit indecisive. He had to choose between his lady, and her wishes. Ooh, tough spot.

"Shut up, you're just making this difficult. I could easily kill you all, but I'm being rather nice and giving you a chance to live!" Lyndis made a strangled sound that he assumed was bitten back anger, and Kent remained the same expression, trying to figure out what to do.

Then Glass noticed that the green knight was not at the side of Kent anymore. Wait, hadn't he been…oh hell.

Releasing the girl, Glass darted aside, just barely missing a lance coming down on his head. He hissed in anger, that blow would have killed him instantly. "You can't kill me! I am Glass, a peerless Swordsman! You will all fall to my blade!" Shifting his blade to rest on his shoulder, Glass glared with his dark green and yellow eyes. "DIE!" He roared, his wild brown hair flying backwards as he charged forward, leaping almost 10 feet in the air, before coming down on the Green Knight.

Lyndis had just retrieved her weapon, and Kent was a bare second away. Glass rolled with his blow, and as his blade smashed Sain's armor plate, he plowed him straight into the ground, and with a jump/roll, dodged Kent's lance swing perfectly, and his blade knocked Lyn's blade aside.

Sain had stood up, and he was now cornered, even with a lot of room between him and the corner, they had him cut-off, trying to run past them would just get him a serious wound...Looking at his choices, Glass began to twitch almost spastically. "RARGH!" He roared again, this time he was more rabid, he was a bit crazy after all. His remnants of military discipline, knowledge, and tactics left him for a moment as he charged the orange-haired knight insane, simply using his blade to knock the lance aside as he just barreled the man over, trampling him, before running straight out of the temple.

The knights gave chase, this time mounted, as the girl probably freed the old man. Glass wanted to scream in frustration, things just were not fair! Then knight caught up with him soon, as he was nearing the houses, and he felt two lances skewer him, one at least grazed his lung, as his throat gurgled with blood. His eyes opened up wide, and he collapsed to his knees, looking up to the sky.

"Is…this the…end? The…end…for…me?" The knights had already begun to trot away, as Glass fell to the ground. "_The end…for Glass?"_ his last words before darkness overtook him were gurgled out…

"_Is he alright?"_

"_Yes, he's healed quiet well. Poor boy, I believe he was insane when he tried to take the sword."_

"_Truly? It is possible; he spoke oddly, sometimes in the third person…_

"_I suppose...I've forgiven the lad, young man really, but if he ever meets up with the Lyndis, well, she's a strong girl, and wields the Mani Katti…but she seems to bear a grudge quiet well."_

"_Oh she's still young, that'll pass in time…"_ Glass began to get a bit annoyed and sickened by the conversation of what he assumed to be that old Bishop, or priest or whatever, and a silly young girl.

"Hey! Don't call me poor boy or lad! I'm Glass damn it!" Glasses words were not really a great and intimidating, as he wanted them to be, seeing as they came out as weak croaks really. The old man looked at him with wise, old brown eyes, a healing stave held in his hands. Glass was right, it was the old man, and a young lass, about 15 by the look of her, was next to him. She was short, with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a well-endowed body. She would probably marry a good Sacaen man, and join one of the tribes…Kutolah, Glass decided; it was one of the largest after all.

"Of course Glass." The girl said her voice suitably cute to fit her face. Glass found it sickening, she sounded so…shallow…

The old man smiled faintly. "Sure lad." Glass trembled with rage.

"GLASS!" He managed to shout, but it was strangled.

The old man's eyes became mischievous. "Lad."

"GLASS!" Glass's eyes were twitching, and the old man was starting to chuckle.

"Lad…"

It would be hours before Glass finally conceded defeat, and simply buried himself in the blankets of whatever bed he was in, simply brooding about his loss.

Pretty interesting idea huh? I always liked Glass, because he was the first Mercenary you encounter, so I thought he was a pretty cool unit. Not being able to get him pissed me off…

And do not think our tactician will not make some appearances! All will be explained.

Oh, and when Glass thought "Wait, hadn't he been…oh hell." He was thinking about how pissed of Sain had appeared, and when he saw he was no longer there, Glass put 2 and 2 together.

I got a few ideas on Glass's history from some other fics, so thanks to whomever's fics I got this from…I do not remember which one it was, but once again, thanks.


	2. Chapter 2: Araphen

Authors Notes: Nothing right now. Except that I have done one disclaimer, I do not feel I should need to do another.

Glass had spent the better part of a week in a bed; his wounds healed a little bit everyday by a mixture of foul tasting concoctions and the Bishops healing magic. Being completely impaled, and through the lungs especially, takes awhile to heal. Safely anyway, the Bishop probably could have healed him in one go, but sometimes that could build up scar tissue or leave the newly healed muscle or bone very weak.

Either way, after his time of healing was up; Glass spent that next week in rehabilitation. He had tried to leave immediately, but the bishop had simply put him to sleep, dragged him back, and locked him inside the house. After that week, Glass was good as new, and desperate to leave.

It had been a week…so Lyn and her troop had probably just arrived in Lycia. Lundgren would no doubt waylay them at ever opportunity, forcing them to go slowly after their battles, or stop altogether to heal up after them. On top of that, they had people on foot, and that would force them to go at the speed of a walking man…they might have two people to a horse, but horses get tired too. By Glass's rough calculations, if he could make at least 12 leagues a day, he could catch up to him. He was not looking forward to it, but Glass had been an Ilian mercenary after all.

Ilian men, who generally made up the workforce of Ilia, were rarely mercenaries. However, those who were had to be able to keep up with Pegasi, meaning they had to be able to make 30 leagues a day, on foot. An Ilian man could run non-stop for an entire day without rest, so long as he had water. Glass winced just thinking about it, but he knew he could do it. He intended to leave the bishop and the shrine at night, and avoid any confrontations. Besides, he intended to steal a little bit of food, water, and money, and sneaking off when one does that is easiest.

Thus, Glass did just that. It was not that hard, the Bishop was an old man and slept quiet soundly. He gathered up what he needed, sheathed his large blade on his back, and quietly led a horse from the stable. He tied what he stole evenly on both sides of the horse, and as it was very little the horse would not get tired. He led the horse from the shrine, and then began to run, and it understood as it followed him as a pace that was quite enjoyable to it, but a pain in the ass to Glass.

Glass never liked running…Did he ever mention that most male Ilian mercenaries hitched rides on the Pegasi every now and then? He groaned as he took a sip from his waterskin, he was not looking forward to this…

_//////////Breaking//////////Point//////////_

Lycia at last. Glass knew Lyndis was heading for Caelin, but was at the disadvantage of not knowing which way she was going to get there. However, she had apparently fought in small skirmishes along the way, and such things were rare and the talk of the villages. He found it easy to follow her, stories of an oddly cloaked man, a Sacaen lady, a womanizing oaf, and a 'beautiful crimson knight'. Glass was not really one for stupid titles, but that last one made him laugh.

That was obviously that orange haired knight from before. Hmm…'beautiful' was not the kind of word Glass would use to describe him. Either way, he continued to follow them, and he knew he was catching. Soon enough, he was in Araphen…To his surprise, the city was in an uproar. Parts of it were aflame, and a smile lit his face. This could only mean one thing... Lyn was here.

Glass pulled his blade off his back, and advanced into the city. No guards could be found, Glass thought how that could be so until he remembered Araphen's inheritance squabble. Therefore, the Marquis's brother bribed the guards onto his side, and the Marques was left with his semi famous Sacaen Captain (it was rare a Sacaen could get such a high rank in Lycia), and Lyn's little force.

The city square housed a mage, an archer, and a group of soldiers. The average soldier wore light plate mail, bore a round shield, and a spear. The soldiers were unable to advance, as the mage was lobbing ball after ball of fire, and the slag from the several of their shields testified to its power. Instead, they were stuck behind the rubble of a house, awaiting an opening, and every time they found on an arrow would fly straight for them. After watching the exchange for around five minutes, Glass finally rolled his eyes and walked around the building, coming up on the soldiers from behind.

"Soldiers! Form a phalanx!" Glass barked, brandishing his huge broadsword. The men stared at him for a moment, and Glass glared at them. "Maggots! I'm Captain Shard, true Marquis of Araphen!" The soldiers apparently believed that he meant there Marquis, and had no idea he was lying, and so they formed the phalanx as he told them.

Two of the eight men lacked a shield, but they were still able to form a passable phalanx, and began to advance as quickly as possible. The mage seemed to be chanting long than usual, and the archer was trying as hard se he could to penetrate the shield wall. The made opened his yes; they were blazing blue, something that happened among Sages usually, but sometimes among mages, when they used powerful magic.

Glass swept his blade in an arc, shearing completely through two men and knocking another one to the side, completely obliterating the phalanx, before diving out of the way. The mage did not appear bothered by this, and with a cry held his hands forward, firing off a pillar of flame, than smashed into the soldiers and exploded into a fiery ball. When it was gone, the last three soldiers still living was crying in pain as their armor burned them alive.

The mage and archer looked at him, and then at each other. The archer had brown hair and had a smile on his face; he looked like a happy guy. The mage had short, straight purple-blue hair that was almost black in appearance. His eyes were…dark blue if he was seeing correctly. The archer's eyes were blue, unless his sight was failing him.

The archer cupped his hands around his mouth. "Ho there! Thank you for the aid, could you aid us in this battle!?" The Archer shouted his thanks/question. Glass wiped his blade off on some scraps of burnt cloth, and sheathed it as he ran over to them.

"For now…" Glass replied. "Depends on how much I can get paid." The mage an archer looked at each other then shrugged.

"We don't have much money, but the Marquis of Araphen will reward you well, I'm sure." The mage said in a calm, soft, but not quiet voice. Glass nodded lazily.

"Right, right. Now what is the situation?" The archer scratched the back of his head, and the Mage looked at him, and then sighed in frustration.

"We're looking for specific levers and a switch, which when pulled will open a secret entrance to the Marquis Throne room. They're scattered throughout the Castle's dungeon and barracks." Glass blinked, that sounded…stupid. Why would the switches to the secret entrance be on the outside?...And why not all in the same room, but hidden. Well…whatever.

It was not really Glass's problem anyway. "My names is Shard, I'm an Ilian Mercenary looking for work. I guess your job is to keep any reinforcements from getting to the main battlefield?" The archer blinked, but the Mage nodded. Glass scratched his stubble chin. "I'll go to the Dungeons then…that's probably where the entrance is, and the Marquis brother probably knows something about this secret tunnel…so the commander is probably there." The archer blinked again, and the Mage nodded.

"Go." Glass nodded and ran off, personally wondering if they suspected something about him.

Wil wondered how much money Glass would want. The guy was strong, Lyn could probably use their help, but they did not have much money. Damn it, Wil wished he had more fingers…

Erk knew Glass was not telling the entire truth, but if he was against them, he would have simply let the phalanx get hit then rushed them, instead of cleaving them. It was an unnecessary move. Even if that was part of his plan, he could have easily slaughtered them once he came up to them. It took a few seconds to chant out the spell, and he could have killed at least on of them by then.

Glass was now in the Dungeons. It was surprisingly easy to enter; the large, steel bound oak door had been open via a lock pick, or the key. Probably lock pick, guessing by the faint scratches around the lock. He could hear the sounds of fighting inside, and quietly made his way through the dungeon, until he heard the sound of rustling cloth. It was coming from a supply room next to him; a he peered inside, for the sake of his curiosity.

A red-cloaked, slim built lad of 16 or so was pilfering a few chests. "An angelic robe! Where did they get one of these? And an armor slayer! Jeez, that sword weighs a lot. And look at all this money, these guys sure were taking in bribes. And…dear god, is that a flame brand? Damn, I wish it was a knife version, that's a big sword…but that kind of enchantment sells for a lot…" Glass watched as the thief brought up a large blade. It was a longsword with an ornate hilt; the blade was thick, longer, and wide than the usual longsword however, but not as much as his ridiculous broad sword. He had a good idea just then.

Glass walked into the room, ignoring the shocked look that passed over the thief, and the nervous sweat that ran down his face. Glass plucked the sword from the thieves grasp, his strength more than three times that off the little boy. "I'll take that, and forget that you've been stealing from the Marquis of Araphen's dungeons." Glass paused, that sounded weird. Dungeons? Who steals from the dungeon? Only Araphen used the dungeons more as storerooms than as their actual use, to house criminals. The rich city tended to recieve a healthy amount of bribes to keep the dungeons empty, and in startling bad repair.

"Hey! I stole---er, found that fair and square!" The thief shouted indignantly. Glass rolled his eyes and grabbed the thief's hair. The boy seemed surprised he could not dodge his hand in time.

"And I found it fair and square, it just happened to be in your hands. Now, where's Lyn?" The lad stared at him, and shut his mouth. Glass stared him in the eye, and then glared. "Look, I'm giving you 10 seconds to tell me, or I'm going to gut you."

10, the thief glared at him defiantly.

9, the thief had one of his hands behind him, and there was slight movement.

8, 7, the thief tried to slice his hand off. Glass let go of his hair, knocked it aside, and punched the kid in the face, knocking him to the ground.

6, Glass unsheathed his own blade, the thief tried to scramble away.

5, Glass simply used the flat of his blade to knock him back to the ground.

4, the boy was getting desperate as he saw Glass bring his sword up. Glass smiled.

3, Glass began to whisper that he was going to give his blond hair a good hair cut.

2, the thief shut his eyes.

1, Glass mouthed, and the thief shut his eyes tightly.

Those eyes opened wide and the thief screamed bloody murder. Glass had kicked him right in the fork of the legs. Laughing hysterically, he left the thief alone, and shut the door behind him. The sword was the kind that swung out, so he placed a chair under the knob and a few other things around it to make it difficult to leave, and continued towards where Lyn undoubtedly was.

Glass idly wondered if his horse had run off when he left him in a glade a mile or so from Araphen. He hoped not…besides, Sacaen horses were known to be very smart. What if it ran back? Well…maybe it would just stay like a good horse. Well, either way the horse had served its purpose.

The sounds of combat were still there, and Glass followed the sounds down the hallway. His blade was now in his sheath, and he fingered the Flame Brand. It was completely red, with two rubies set in the hilt. The elder of his village in Caledonia had said he had an affinity for fire…and this was a magical fire blade. He wondered how it worked. Either way, it was a superior blade to his own. He intended to sell his current one, the Flame Brand was his blade now.

A pair of soldiers were guarding a door leading further that was where the combat came from. Glass walked straight up to them, and they did not even bother asking his business there. They simply charged him, trying to stab him. Glass batted on spear into another, to keep the sharp ends from skewering him, and ran along the inside of the man's guard, and hacked his neck off. The second man had brought his spear around, and looked like he had the sense to use his shield.

He sent his spear out again, and this time after Glass parried it, he grabbed the spear, and pulled. The surprised guard lurched forward, and Glass stabbed his blade forward. The soldier brought his shield to block, and then tried to pull his spear back. Glass refused to let him regain control, but let go and charged, kicking the soldier hard in the chest. While the guard took no damage, he fell over like a tortoise. Glass swung his sword down hard, and severed his spear arm from the rest of his body.

The guard screamed, and Glass rolled his eyes and cut his throat. That done, he admired how the blades own red complimented the color of the blood. He flicked some of it off, and then opened the door. Inside, he saw Lyn, another Nomad with a bow, and a cleric. The cleric had pink hair and looked quite pretty, cute being the right word. The Nomad had green…maybe brown hair covered by a Sacaen stylized cloth, and wore brown and green Sacaen garb. His bow was shorter than most bows, meaning he was a mid-range archer, who was probably used to fighting from horseback.

Lyn hadn't noticed his entrance, but the huge man who was covered from head to toe in thick armor did, and looked up for a moment, a moment being all the Lyn needed to dart her blade…to Glass's frustration the Mani Katti…into the mans venerable spot, the neck. The man recovered fast, and blocked her blow, but not the arrow from the nomad's bow. It flew straight and true, and the man fell over with an arrow in his neck.

The Nomad nodded at him, the cleric winked, and when Lyn saw him…her eyes widened, and then she exploded. "YOU'RE ALIVE!?!" She almost screeched at him. Almost in the sense that it was not quite a screech, it was more a screaming battle cry. Imagine a banshee wearing plate mail and a sword charging into battle. Glass normally found such imagery funny, but right now laughing was not a good way to stay healthy. Healthy meaning alive.

Glass winced, and the nomad discreetly pulled a torch holder that was behind the knight, and left through the tunnel that open up. "Well, that's quite a story to tell…" Glass mumbled, scratching the back off his head.

"HOW DARE YOU COME HERE! You defiled the _SACRED SWORD!_ You held a blade to my throat! Go! Go away!" The Cleric was silent, for the most part, but her stifled giggling reached Glass's ears.

Glass had patience, but he was not about to take this from a woman. "Jeez, shut up. You sound like a Caledonian fish wife." Lyn's face got very, very red. Glass spoke quickly to keep from losing his chance at knighthood. "Look, I'm sorry for what I did, it was just the tactically sound thing to do. I just want to help, you need fighters against Lundgren, and I'm skilled. I can help you defeat him." Lyn sheathed her sword, and Glass sighed in relief.

Then she charged him, using the draw of her sword to increase her attacks speed. The Flame Brand swept up, and the Mani Katti smashed into it. He felt not only the force of steel on steel, but magic against magic. He could feel the enchantments of the blade fighting each other as well. It wan...unsettling to say the least.

A man in a dark brown, nearly black cloak came from the doorway and tossed a smoke bomb by the fighting pair. "Lyn, many enemies are willing to join their enemies under the right conditions. Do not let personal feelings affect your judgment…we need the help." The man's face was mostly obscured, but Glass could see he wore some odd contraption on his face. It was like two monocles put into frames, fitted to his face. How odd. More importantly, the stranger's voice was deep, soft, and wise. He sounded like his grandfather, save his tone was commanding and compelling, like a generals. He had that aura of confidence that only a seasoned leader had.

Lyn clutched her sword. "But…he…" The man walked forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You asked me to be your teacher. Here's a lesson for you…the world is naught but shades of gray."

Glass stayed silent, not wanting to ruin his chances of getting a job as a knight of Caelin.

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Kinda crappy, but I'm working on many other things and I'm rushing it.

Beyond that, pairings for the future are going to be more or less canon. Glass is an asshole; he's a soldier first and foremost, but a selfish asshole next. So while he can swallow his pride sometimes, he's generally not a very likeable guy.


	3. Interlude: The Burning Weed

Author's notes: I do not remember much about the beginning of the game, so this is filler until I have the information I need. If you would like to send it to me, I would be much obliged.

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Glass later pondered over the events that lead to his current position. He was now a part of the Legion, he hesitated to say "Lyndis's"simply because she hated him. It made sense for her to hate him; after all, it was his sword at her neck. However, it did seem a little unfair. He was just doing what he needed to fulfill his dream…

It never occurred to him that his lack of hesitation to defile the Sacred Sword what was truly angered Lyn, not his steel against her throat.

The tactician was named Mark, and Glass respected him greatly. He used the smoke bomb, knowing that such a distraction was the only thing that would stop Lyn from her jihad. Mark was a tactical genius, having taken no casualties against incredible odds, and had an otherworldly aura. Perhaps the reason for their quest belonged to Lyn, perhaps it was her name that would go down in history, but there was one thing that no one could deny. Mark held them all together.

He was like tar and mortar, yet did not degrade as they did. No matter the problem, small or large, he solved it with infinite patience, fairness, and occasionally kindness that endeared him into the hearts of many. Though never spoken, it was largely known that there were always two open ears in the camp. One belonged to Lucius…but the other was Mark, and he always had the time.

Glass decided that was what made him so effective. Mark could do so many things at once, and keep completely calm and in control, that it seemed nothing could sway him. He was the only male Florina could talk to without eventually squealing in terror, and he served as the groups psychiatrist as well as Tactician. Lucius was there of course, but he was a priest as well. Mark seemed trained in the psychiatric art, and the heaven's knew any army needed both. People needed to confess their sins to god, and needed someone who could work through the stresses of such a murderous lifestyle.

Absently polishing the Firebrand in his lap, Glass stared into the dying embers of the fire. A chicken, almost completely picked over, lay on its spit, a few good hunks of meat left. Picking it up, Glass stalked out into the woods, with the rest of the leftovers. He left them, and waited until a single wolf walked forward, after what must have been an hour. It stared at him, then the leftovers.

Their eyes met, and Glass averted his eyes after a few moments, knowing that a fight would occur should he stand his ground to long. The wolf proceeded to grab that largest haunch left, and left. Glass to left, more wolves emerged to grab all the scarps before leaving. That was something few people knew, Wolves were scavengers in a sense. They ate whatever they could get, especially in places as scarce as this.

The land west of Araphen was a wasteland, a desolate barren waste that made Araphen as rich as it was. That city made huge sums of money off the mines in the wastelands, and its advantage of being the largest city on that side of the wastes. Lycia used the wastes to their advantage many a time, using it as a defensive wall so they could concentrate on other parts of the country.

Around 700 years ago, it was said the Bernese army marched into those wastes, and not a single soldier emerged. It is true that the Lycian mines discovered many corpses in their early diggings; many showed signs of starvation, others of violent deaths. Obviously, there was some truth in those myths.

Anyway, Glass liked to keep on the good side of the most dangerous of animals in the area, even though they would probably never attack a full camp of humans, it was best to err on the side of caution. Besides, he liked wolves. They were vicious, clever, strong, and quite wise. Perhaps wolves were not as smart as humans were, but he had seen a wolf outsmart or use more common sense than a man many a time. He did not feel like dwelling on those thoughts, and resisted any sort of flashback.

His Fire Brand, or perhaps Flame Brand, if you felt that name grander, was now polished and sharp. Sheathing it inside a well-oiled brown leather scabbard, Glass took out his old blade, and repeated the process. A blade must be kept carefully, not rust allowed to accumulate, and any of it found must be scrubbed clean with oil. Glass had made a habit out of it, using his time of first watch to do this. He found it surprising that he was being trusted as a sentry so early, but seeing as they kept two of them, and everyone was tired from the battle in Araphen, he supposed it was all right.

That archer was the other sentry with him, eyes like an eagle that man had. He had seen him pick an apple of a tree from the back of a Pegasus, at least a thousand feet in the air! Glass respected the young man's talent, although Glass had no doubt that if the two battled, Glass would be victories. Many a time had he used his blade to block an arrow, or dodge one. It was easiest at short to long range, when he could see their fingers twitch, or when he could see it coming. Short-mid range was dangerous, usually you had no idea it was coming because it came from the back. He had enough feathers sticking out of his back for one lifetime.

Soon Glass finished caring for his older blade, and covered in thick canvas to protect it. Laying them down by the fire, he pulled out a pipe and stuffed it full of pipe weed. It might be some other type of weed, but Glass was not about to go running around telling people he was smoking illegal substances. No, Glass certainly used them, but many front-line soldiers did. The ravages of war demand respite every now and then and many soldiers would have gone insane if not for the beautiful green plant.

Allowing them smoke to seep into his lungs, burning as he let it build up, until releasing it in a long jet. A faint haze similar to the smoke he had just released built up in his head, and soon the effects of the pipe hit him. He smiled as he stared into the fire, and up at the sky.

"You know what? I live for these moments. The moon and stars are my friends, their beauty is staggering…poets can tack names onto to them, but nothing can ever truly explain their magnificence. Perhaps…perhaps it's their unapproachable nature; one cannot simply fly high into the sky and pluck them out…The unattainable treasure…" Glass's high, light-hearted thoughts drooped to a more 'serious' level, thinking of his loss of the Mani Katti. It could never be his…but he had the Flame Brand, did it really matter?

"Whatever force plays in the heavens above let it work known for those who look for it…" Glass mumbled, tapping the ash into the flames, and re-packing his pipe. He heard someone walking up behind him, and ignored the person in favor of using a burning stick from the fire to set his pipe burning.

Mark sat down beside him, his own dark eyes staring into the fire. It was then Glass discovered Mark's eyes were actually yellow, a dark yellow that looked almost light brown. The tactician pulled out his own pipe, and packed it with a similar substance to Glass's own.

"I hope you do not prove me wrong…" Was the only thing Mark said, as he smoked his own pipe, releasing smoke rings that occasionally went through one another, when done fast enough.

Glass calmly shot a jet of smoke through one ring. "I hope you are not so cryptic during battle." Glass replied. A snort from Mark made a smile curve across his face, smoke leaking from the break in the wall that his lips made. Nothing else was spoken between the two, and after a few hours, it was time to shift the sentries. Glass awoke Sain, and fell into his own pleasant dreams.

Mark simply stared into the fire for hours. _Glass…it is a brittle thing, transparent, and yet reflective. Properly made, it can be quite strong as well…and sharp…is this name truly you? On the other hand, is it merely the guise you have assumed, worn down and jaded from years of battle?_ A battleship of smoke formed from his lips, passing through the ring he had just made, only to be brought low by the cannon ball of smoke that left soon after. _Perhaps you wear a mask, one that you have left on for so long it has become you. Is the real Glass a young lad who never had a real life? Alternatively, he is a hardened, selfish mercenary who wants nothing more than personal riches? I hope you do not prove my suspicions wrong…_

Leaving those thoughts by the fire, Mark fell into his own pleasant dreams in his tent. Most pleasant dreams.

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Like I said, filler. Pure filler. Ignore it if you want to, it really has no bearing on the story, and has blatant Gandalf rip-offs.


End file.
